Circle of Water
by TheBigBadWolf7491
Summary: Adriana Pooler has always longed to become a mermaid ever since her mother told her about them. Now she gets her chance to participate in the Mermaid Official Research Facilitation. But when she discovers certain dangers that could ruin every mermaid's life, what will she do? It's a lot better than it sounds in the description. Rated T because I'm paranoid.


My entire life has depended upon this moment. Okay, well, not exactly _every _moment, like whenever Jeremy, my boyfriend, was kissing me, or when I was eating chocolate with my mates Kim and Harlowe, but every other moment I have spent has been working towards this research program.

So I am extremely aware of my nerves when I step into Dr. Seymour's office on December 22nd, my birthday. My mom has told me about this moment for years, and how nervous she had been at the time, and how excruciatingly important it was that I don't panic, because all they wanted to know is who I am as a person. They want to see if I am mature enough to take the job.

As if this whole shinding is a _job. _When my mother was 15 years old, the girls her age had treated this like a game, like their normal lives. But not my mother. She was proud that she had been selected to participate in the program, and was never immature or misbehaved in the experiments.

However, eight years later, she had to choose whether or not to leave the program. The fifty years had been up, and she chose to take the opportunity. She left the program, married my father, had my older sister, me, and got a real job. Doing the program can get you great referrals, and so my mother got a job she wanted dearly. She's very happy with the way things turned out.

Additionally, you can also get your daughters enrolled for the program. If they qualify, then they're in. My mother, being a prominent alumnus, attending every single event the program had, speaking at meetings, though she officially wasn't a member anymore, she still had the philosophies that the old team of doctors, who had all passed along. A very wise woman, and I was lucky to have her as my mother.

"Adriana Stephanie Pooler," Dr. Seymour says, breaking me out of my momentary periphery, flashing her bright white smile at me, though she already knows my name from my mother. Dr. Seymour is a recent addition to the team (my mother knows all about the comings and goings here), meaning she came in the last six or seven years. She's a brilliant young woman, and my mother admires her so, which doesn't happen often.

"Dr. Alexandria Seymour," I say to her. "It's so nice to finally meet you," I say, remembering my mother's words to me. Dr. Seymour has opened the shades up to bring in the light, so it's pretty bright in here. Seymour has her laptop opened up, and she's busily typing away at something.

"Oh, yes, I've been waiting for a long time to meet Marietta Pooler's daughter. Of course, potential subjects aren't allowed to meet the facilitators. It would be unfair to the other participants. But of course you knew that." She smiles again. Dr. Seymour has always been a gentle, kind-hearted soul. I've never met her before—it's against the rules—but my mother knows her better than she knows herself, so I've pretty much got everything down in my head. I know she adores butterscotch ice cream, doesn't drink alcohol, and her favorite color is a deep teal.

I nod. "My mother practically forced me to inhale the handbook daily when I was little. I can probably say it aloud by heart," I say jokingly.

"Well that's nice." Dr. Seymour replies with a tight smile. I know now it's time to get down to business. "So, what we've gleaned from your basic application is that you've got a smooth, cool, friendly personality. That's always a good sign to see in our subjects. We've also seen just a touch of fearlessness, and also extreme calmness and ability to control yourself. That's good as well." Dr. Seymour swivels around, and open a drawer. She sifts through a few files before pulling one out. The file reads _Pooler, Marietta S. _My mother's file. The facility, of course, likes to use precedence wherever it can, but whenever they have a subject that doesn't officially come from an old family, they don't tend to take them. It is a rare occasion new families come into the facility, but it does happen. "We know that your mother displayed each and every one of these qualities, and she ended up developing the three basic powers: shaping water and its volumes, freezing it, and boiling it. This doesn't happen often, but it does happen." She smiles again. "If we do decide to accept you, then you will have to take classes in how to control your powers for three of them, if it so happens that you will possess three of the basic powers."

There are four basic powers. The control of water and its volume, freezing water, boiling water, turning it into a gelatine and crystalline substance, and three complex powers, which include invisibility, telekineses, and volume reduction. My mother had the ability to shape and control water and its volumes, and telekinesis. I guess it's because she had a strong mind and will.

"You also display a strong will and mind, like your mother. Telekinesis is also possible for you. It seems you will be greater than your mother.

"Well…onto _you _Adriana,"

"Yes," I say too quickly.

"Let's start simple. What's your favorite color?"

"Sunset. Like a mixture of orange, pink, purple, a really deep mixture of that."

"Favorite food?"

"I'd say sushi." She asked me a few more questions, and I answered them, straight and to the point. Another perk of coming from an alumnus family: your relatives can prepare you for this very day. My mother told me that usually the doctors who interview us don't want a long, boring story about this or that came to be. They want the straight-up answers.

Too soon, I'm done with the interview and Dr. Seymour is shaking my hand and telling me that the Committee will meet with me in exactly two hours to discuss everything.

As soon as I step outside the building, a large black thing engulfs me in a hug. Kim, with her blonde hair spilling over her shoulders, is squealing. I look behind her and spot Harlowe, wrestling with her black hair to get it into a bun. She rolls her eyes.

Kim is way over dramatic, and Harlowe is sometimes too calm, but I'm a mix of both of them, and while Kim is the diva, always keeping up with fashion trends and such, Harlowe is more of a punk-rock scene type of girl. I inhale Kim's hair scent, which is like apples, of course, and it smells delicious.

"I'm so proud of you," Kim says, staring at the sky, frowning. I can't blame her. It looks like it's going to rain. At least she brought a coat. "How do you think you did?"

I shrug my shoulders, and brush a piece of my red hair behind my ear. "Alright, I guess," I say calmly. "You two should get inside. It's going to rain." Harlowe glares at me. On normal days, we used to dance and sing in the rain—well, _I _used to sing, because I'm the only one of us who _can _sing at all—and make chalk drawings and then make hot chocolate, but ever since July, they can't go outside when it's raining. No one is exactly supposed to know about the facility's whereabouts, otherwise they'd all run over the place, demanding to be turned into a mermaid. That's why only some people are invited to make the change.

Kim freezes water and Harlowe boils it, which means they're polar opposites, but they're still friends all the same. I think I'd like to be able to shape and mould water and control its volume, and maybe, just maybe, I'd get a second basic power and get to turn it into a gelatine and cystalline substance. I'd be happy without a complex power, because many people with two basic powers don't have one. I'd think my powers are cool enough.

Harlowe and Kim both have telekinesis, so they can move things with their mind, which is almost like controlling the water, but they cannot control its volume.

Though I have to meet with the committee in two hours, Harlowe and Kim sign out and Harlowe drives us to a restaurant. After breakfast (I haven't been eating anything all day, from stress), we head back to the Facility, making sure to park our car in a visible parking lot, and going behind the building that sits near it, then we trek through the woods.

It did rain earlier, so the two of them have to be careful not to touch water. Truthfully, I've never seen anyone transform, so I'm keen so watch them if they _do _transform. Harlowe almost steps in a puddle full of water, and I turn excitedly, but she shoots me a dirty look and prods me on the back. "Keep going." I know that mermaids' appearances are supposed to be a secret, but I can't help but wonder what they must look like.

* * *

An hour later, Harlowe and Kim have gone swimming and I'm sitting in a big room full of official-looking people, who're all wearing white lab coats. Dr. Seymour is among them. She smiles tightly at me, then rifles through a bunch of papers, pulling out a sheet of paper, and checking something off. She hands it to the doctor sitting at the head of the table.

"So, as we know, the full moon for this month has already passed." A doctor says, looking down at the tablet in front of her. This committee is responsible for the research of mermaids. They decide who gets in, what everyone does, and who to test. However, they can't decide who to take out. The mermaids that are here in 24 years will have the option of becoming normal girls again. Then they will be stripped of their powers.

"So if you're approved, you'd have to transform next month," another says. I'm here on my own, my mother wasn't allowed in, so I just smile politely at whoever speaks next. Once you opt out of the program, then you aren't allowed back in. She's out shopping with my older sister, Skye, and is probably not going to come back. Skye will have to come pick me up.

"We looked at the brain scan, and we can tell that your powers will be extraordinary," someone else says. That makes my eyebrows shoot up. I know only a handful of people here have powers that were extraordinary. And not even my mother had extraordinary powers.

"Really? In what ways?" I'm curious now, so I lean forward on my elbows.

"Well, we know the founders of this place had strengthened powers, the effect of a rare planetary alignment. You show an aptitude for that, though the full moon has not affected you just yet." My head is spinning. It's a lot to take in right now.

"Do you want to know what your powers would be?" Dr. Seymour says gently. I shake my head.

"I'd like it to be a surprise," I say. Every single doctor turns to the one in charge here—Dr. Poll. He squints at me, his bushy eyebrows hiding his eyes almost completely.

All I can think is _please please please_. "The council is in favor. I approve. On January 15th, at 11:52 pm, you will transform into a mermaid." My body is floating as I shake everyone's hand, and as Dr. Seymour leads me out of the room and to the entrance of the building.

"Report here tomorrow at 7:30 promptly, Adriana Pooler." Dr. Seymour says. "And good luck."

"There's my girl," a voice says. I whip around, having been staring at the facility, and see my boyfriend, Jeremy Harriston, walking through the thick, wet foliage. I can feel my face brighten, and my heart beats a little bit faster.

"What are you doing here?" I say as he draws in for a kiss. He runs his hand through my thick red hair as I hold on to his blonde curls. "I thought Skye was picking me up,"

"Skye asked me to do it," he says, holding my hand. "I hope you don't mind,"

"Of course not," I murmur into his chest. Jeremy has always made me feel safe in his arms, and today is no exception. We he draws me close and wraps me in his warm embrace, I think that we are invincible, and as long as we stand here, hugging each other, we will always be safe and guarded. No other boy has made me feel this way.

"So, what's the outcome?" Jeremy says, pulling away, and I feel my chest seize up when he does.

"I'm in," I say proudly, and I can't help the grin that breaks out on my lips. Jeremy's lips meet mine, and he tastes like cinnamon.

"I knew you could do it, Adriana," he says. He drapes his arm around my shoulders and leads me across the forest to the parking lot. He's talking about his little sister, Laurel, and how he wishes she could be entered into the program, if my family could give a recommendation.

When we get home, he opens the door for me and I'm suddenly engulfed by my sister. Skye, in all her glory, with shopping bags, has dropped them and is squeezing me tightly. "We heard the news! Dr. S called us! I'm so happy for you, Adi!" My sister sometimes calls me Adi, as a nickname.

My sister never became a mermaid. She always thought it would be weird to have a microscope hovering over her and it was too weird, so she didn't sign up for it. It cast her and my mother to opposite ends for a while, but in the end my mother respected her decision. Her pin straight blonde hair spills over my shoulder, all thick and lush, and her blue eyes glitter at me as she pulls me inside our house.

"Mom!" she shouts up the stairs. My mother appears at the top of the steps, looking excited, laundry basket in her arms. "Adi's going to be a mermaid! She got in!"

My mother gasps in excitement, drops the basket, and runs down the stairs. She wraps her thin arms around mine, and squeezes me tightly. I can hear Skye talking to Jeremy with a smile on her face. "Oh, I'm so happy for you, my darling!" she squeals. Another thing: my mother is the girliest girl you will ever meet.

"Thanks, Mum," I say. "Now, I won't turn till January, that's when the next full moon is, so we've got plenty to do." I hold up the manila folder that Dr. Seymour shoved into my arms on the way out, when my head was too in the clouds for me to notice it. My mother flips through it, humming to herself. She flips it closed, and kisses me on top of my head.

"Alright, then. We'll call someone to make a pool for us, love," she says. She has never looked this happy in her life. Ever since Dad left us, she hasn't been herself exactly. She's always been bubbly and girly, but she lost that innocent quality to her. She looks rather sad when she goes upstairs.

"Mum," I say suddenly, following her up the stairs into the bathroom. "Are you alright?"

"Of course, darling," she says. Curious, though, I follow her up. She's in the bathroom. I was planning on taking a shower. I guess I won't have very many of those left now, after I become a mermaid. I better cherish these legs.

I try to open the door, but it's locked. "Mum?" I say. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"The door's locked."

"Oh is it? Sorry, natural habit. I used to do it when Skye was a little girl." She twists the door open, and unlocks it. She's busy washing her face with moisturizer when I enter the room.

I reach over to take some of the pictures I've hung up on the wall. I've been meaning to put them into my own bathroom ever since the renovation, but I was just too lazy. Now, I guess, I'll have to pack them for the Facility. She stares intently at my hand and grabs my wrist.

"Wash your hands before you touch those. Your hands are greasy." Shrugging, I turn on the faucet. The water goes wild.

It sprays all over. On an instinct, I guess, my mother stumbles back, practically throwing herself in the corner of the vast bathroom. "Oh goodness, sorry Mum!" I say, hurrying to turn the water off. "Geez," I mutter. "I guess the plumbers didn't do as good a job as they said they did,"

"No," my mother says. "I guess not," Clearly shaken, she shudders and tells me that she'll call them tomorrow about redoing the pipes and instructs me to turn the faucet on very slowly whenever I need water.

"C'mon," she adds. "I'll help you clean up,"

**A/N: Alright. Don't think I'm a weirdo. But I just finished watching the show and I actually really liked it. So I decided to write a fanfiction about.**


End file.
